Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ya-ta Boy]

We are fast approaching the hottest days of summer when it is traditional to eat a dog. I know the dogs in my neighborhood are getting more and more nervous by the day. Dogs have been known to try everything from faking illness to being overly cringing in efforts to avoid the stew pot.

Does anyone have any good 보신탕 stories to tell?

The best one I know is the first one I ever heard. It was told by a Mr. 최 in my first free-talking class in my first job in Korea.

He said�

When he was a teen-ager there was an old man living nearby in their village. One hot summer day the old man asked young Mr.최 and his friend to kill the dog he�d been raising for him. (Mr. 최 said it was a German Shepard, but I�m not sure.)

He and his friend scrounged up some baling wire and took the dog up to a low bridge near their home. They twisted the wire around the dog�s neck. The friend stayed up on the bridge and Mr. 최 jumped down off the bridge and picked up a steel pipe. The friend shoved the dog off the bridge and Mr. 최 started beating on it. In its struggles, the dog wriggled free. Oh, no! Mr. 최 and the friend started chasing the dog, but couldn�t catch it. After a couple of hours they returned to the village and told the old man, who pitched a fit.

Poor Mr. 최and his friend were ordered to search for the dog. For two days they hiked up and down mountains calling for the dog. They never found it.

Canines: 1 Humans 0

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

One month into my job, my boss had a big refund from KT coming and gave me 2 options:

1) Accompany him to a "sports massage" joint

2) Accompany him to a classy dog restaurant (oxymoron?)

Me being a monogamus husband (weird, right?), I chose the second one.

Boy, was that a night. Because the husband-and-wife owners were so thrilled to have a foreigner eating at their place, they plied me, free of charge, with every single kind of booze they had in stock, even stuff such as raspberry and plum liqeurs.

Needless to say, I had a bit of a hangover the next day.

And the taste of dog meat stays in one's mouth for a long time.

Sparkles*_*

[uberscheisse]

my ex lived with her grandma on jejudo for much of her adolescent life after her parents split up. she explained that she received some pretty disrespectful treatment because she was the daughter of the younger son or something like that.

she had a dog. she left her area for some time, and when she came back, her dog was missing. her uncle hated her, and she suspected him, a dog meat fan, of killing it.

sure enough, he did. but by dragging it behind his car.

had we married, i am sure the guy would not understand the headstomping he was receiving from his nephew-in-law 16 or so years after the fact. but it wouldn't really matter to me.

[blaseblasphemener]

[RACETRAITOR]

Koreans have one breed of dog they use for food. That's sick they'd use a German Shepherd.

Here are my stories:

1) My uncle was teaching English in Yeosu in 1996. They fed him some food. He asked what kind of meat it was. They said "duck." He said, "I can't eat that. Dogs are my friends." They all said "WTF?"

2) One of my adult students in my first job had studied at the University of Waterloo in Canada. While in a convenience store, she found a product called "dog jerky." I'm sure any dog owners here know what it is. She strongly contemplated buying it for herself.

3) My wife was tricked into eating dog by her dad when she was young. He told her it was something else.

4) She had to eat dog to get her Christmas bonus last year. Those are the only two times.

[Homer]

Ate dog soup here a few times.

But nothing here compares to an experience in Vietnam.....

We were travelling the countryside (3 buddies and me) on motorcycles we had rented and having a ball. We came up to a small village and a group of local dudes came up to us. Two of them spoke French (which I understand) and they offered us to share some food.

They had a fire going. They proceeded to take a dead dog (recently killed) and toss it wholesale on the flames, fur and all. The whole thing cooked on the fire for a good 30-40 minutes and then shey sliced it up and handed us a plate. Two of my buddies nibbled and turned green. My and my friend decided to have a go at it and it was not bad at all....

Puts dog soup places in perspective doesn't it!

[mole]

First time was on a school "camping" trip. I thought they told me it was duck.
Kind of marinated bulgogi-style on a plate and quite tender & tasty.
Someone eventually explained.

Next time, out for lunch with fellow teachers for boshintang. Old folks. No problems.
Next was on a date at a dirty little restaurant. I got deathly ill.
Not like spray and gas diarrhea, but like thick non-stop lava flow.

Again, after Korea/Spain, 2002 World Cup, but junggole style. Pretty good.
A friend's mom owns a boshintang restaurant that's always good.
Last time at a different place, it was kind of gooey and disgusting.

[Peter Jackson]

Never had the dog stew here but did eat dog in Vietnam. I was on the back of a motorcycle and my driver said, "Blah, blah, blah beer?" I couldn't hear over the traffic noise. But I thought a beer would be nice.

Well, after stopping by one of his friend's place to pick up some homemade rice "wine", we sped off to a restaurant. I didn't notice anything at first, just that I was the only westerner in the place and got some curious stares. It wasn't until the menu came that I clued in. I couldn't read it but the pictures of dogs gave it away.

I must admit my stomach turned and fear set in. But I didn't want to offend my driver as he was going to be paying.

Well the meat came and most of it was ok. Some was just like lamb. BUT there was some smoked stuffed, cold and very chewy. Then there were some stuffed dog "things" which included cartilage and other unknown parts.

The combination of the potent rice whiskey and the rich dog meat did a number on my stomach and I couldn't sleep for hours. It was like the meat just churned in my stomach.

It was a great experience but one I don't ever want to repeat. I might eat dog again, but the poshintang dog soup thing just doesn't seem appealing.

[SuperFly]

We managed to free these poor guys last year before feeding time.

Not enough rescues these days...people are just becoming more and more like animals.





Some not so lucky brothers

[AliNZ]

I've seen the dog farms - they come in all shapes and sizes ...even saw one hapless fluffy white poodle!!!

There is one particular breed - a big hevy set type that predominates, but is no way the onely breed.

But if it makes you feel better in believing it....

[holeinthesky]

"A society can be judged by the way it treats its animals" MK Ghandi

Im just curious. Can you honestly happily eat that, knowing the animal may have been burnt alive? Most likely tortured in some way to release adrenalin into the blood and "tenderize" the meat?

Not wanting to start a rant, I know this has been done before....but with all other meat. ie pork, chicken beef (although the killing methods may not be humane) the animals are not deliberately tortured for a purpose, as in dog meat.

I've heard all the arguments and justifications. ANYWAY, my thoughts are that we shouldnt eat any animal that can show us affection... :

[bellum99]

Dead is dead. I have seen some very brutal ways to kill animals and one thing is always true...they died. I think it doesn't matter what animal it is because they are basically the same. It doesn't matter if it is a cow, horse or dog.
If you have never personally been to a slaughter yard then you have no opinion. It is never pretty...they don't lull the cows to sleep with soft music before gently easing them into cow heaven.
If you eat meat, then you eat meat. Who cares if it is dog?

[VanIslander]

[khyber]

a few moments of torture before death is pretty terrible no doubt, but consider how veal calves are treated back home.

Koreans don't deserve any more punishment than veal eaters!


I'm going tomorrow for my first dog meat experience...
BUT, I am wondering.
It sounds like the galbi style is more delicious than soups and jungols...

So, what do y'all think i "should" eat?

[red dog]

I always say I won't take the bait whenever this topic comes up, but I always lose my resolve for some reason. Oh well, it's a slow day at work. (I seem to have so many of them in Japan.) Here goes: